Process Evaluation's Application and Its Implication in the Research of Sport and Health Promotion

We explores the application of process evaluation in sport and health promotion research. As an study targeting complex systems, physical activity for health promotion requires comprehensive assessment, understanding and adaptation in its implementation. Process evaluation enables the in-depth analysis of intervention delivery, impact mechanism and contextual factors, supporting both retrospective assessment and real-time monitoring. This study first reviews the conceptual framework of process evaluation, highlighting its growing relevance due to the advances in complexity science and the need for interdisciplinary integration in health promotion research. The analysis of existing cases demonstrates established methodological and disciplinary foundations for adopting process evaluation in this field. Three key pathways for future application are proposed: strengthening process data monitoring, deepening the analysis of contextual variables, and developing logical frameworks to assess program scalability. The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining evaluators' independence, methodological rigor, and a critical perspective when interpreting results.